Beauty, Mercy, Justice

Archive for March 22nd, 2005

I recently heard, on NPR, a professor from a Big Eastern University opining
about the Terri Schiavo case. Yes, he said, there are videos that seemingly show
Ms Schiavo interacting with her parents, smiling when they arrive, and crying
when they leave. The professor insisted that these were mere "physical
reactions", and stated with certainty that Ms Schiavo was, in fact, incapable of
such consciousness.

It occured to me that while the professor appeared to intelligently
articulate an opinion, in fact what I was hearing was really a mere physical
reaction, albeit one colored by ideology, and that he, like many modern
academics, was incapable of rational thought, not to mention moral
reasoning.

It’s like the adulterer caught in the act by his wife: "It’s not what you
think, honey". I mean what are you going to believe? The evidence of your own
senses? Or the expert from the Big Eastern University?